Atlantic City Weekly

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Are you shopping for a wine lover this holiday season? 


Are you looking to pick up some vino for a holiday party?


Whatever the case may be, Vintage, located at The Shoppes at The Water Club at the Borgata in Atlantic City is a place where you can “sip into something comfortable.”


That little wine-speak gem of a quote was dreamed up by the ever-knowledgeable Anjoleena Griffin-Holst, long-time wine director at the Borgata. 


Griffin-Holst, who has been in charge of stocking hundreds of different wines at all of the Borgata’s acclaimed restaurants for several years, has a new playground and so do wine lovers — connoisseurs and casual sippers alike. 


Unveiled with little fanfare this past July in the former space of the lingerie shop La Perla, Vintage is not only a chic shop to purchase some of the many kinds of wine available at the Borgata’s award-winning restaurants, but is also a place where you can sample, learn about and even drink a few glasses of wine.


“We went from luxury lingerie to luxury drinks,” says Griffin-Holst, sitting at a large dark-wood table in the middle of the store, where guests are encouraged to sit down for a glass (or two) of wine.


The 14-seat table is surrounded by carefully ordered wines, most of which are situated horizontally along custom shelving that wraps around the walls of the store. 


“We wanted it to be unique,” says Griffin-Holst. “The shelving is very important to seal up the entire look and feel of the store. Obviously we’ve got some incredible products. And sticking with Borgata’s standards, we wanted it to be a beautiful place, but also a comfortable place.”


Which is why the aforementioned table is there, beckoning patrons to sit down and taste some of Vintage’s fine wines.


“Later tonight [Friday] and tomorrow and Sunday, you’ll find people just gathered around it because they use the Enomatic [an in-house wine preservation and serving system that allows guests to sample — by the ounce, half-glass or glass — more than 30 varieties of wine available at Vintage], they’re making new friends, they’re eating cheese — it’s awesome.”


People can purchase an Enomatic card and determine the amount of money on it, add money to it, and sample wine by the glass before they purchase a bottle. Or even another glass.


“It helps people develop their preferences,” adds Griffin-Holst. “And it allows them to see what they like, and maybe take a glass onto the casino floor, or back up to their room. We also have regulars here who come in and buy a card on Friday and then they use it all weekend. It’s like a little gift card.”


The Enomatic also takes the intimidation some people may feel out of the wine-buying experience.

“First of all, we want to be approachable,” says Griffin-Holst. “We’ve got a great team in here. The manager, Trevor Dunn, and his team are knowledgeable, relaxed, easy to talk to and the biggest thing again is that the Enomatic allows people to take a sip and sample. So we ask a lot of leading questions like, ‘What kind of wine do you normally drink? Do you like a sweet wine or a dry wine? Do you like full-bodied?’ And then the [shop experts] are able to pinpoint and help the customer get a card, and take them right over to the machine so they can taste something.


“The way we have the wines lined up on the machine, if you like one kind of wine, chances are you’re going to like something on either side of it.”


Aside from a computer kiosk that greets you upon entering the shop, there are also iPads available for customers to use for selecting the perfect wine via an integrative program that was designed exclusively for Vintage. 


“Since everybody is so used to using technology, we love to incorporate technology into the mix,” adds Griffin-Holst. “It helps put people more at ease. Right when you walk in you see the kiosk and if somebody doesn’t want to talk to an associate, yet they’re comfortable with technology, it allows them to do a lot. Or if they’re looking for a specific producer then they can just type in the name and search. We’re really happy with it.”


There are over 200 varieties of wine for sale at Vintage. It’s a sizable inventory, but less than half of the approximately 575 different types of wine available throughout the Borgata’s dining venues. 


There are, however, certain wines available at Vintage that are not offered at any of the Borgata’s restaurants.


“Which is great because we want to help create this as a unique space,” says Griffin-Holst. “We have some vintage Port and Madeira for people looking for gifts, whether it’s a birthday or a holiday gift, it’s like, ‘Ooh, 1971, my husband was born in that year!’ So they can get something that’s unique that’s not available at the usual retail store.”


The kiosk allows customers to select the specific wine they would like to purchase, then prints out a ticket that can be taken to any of the wine associates in the shop, who will then pull the wine so that people don’t have to go searching for it among the multi-tiered shelves. 


For instance, if you like Chardonnay, you can see all the Chardonnays that Vintage carries, listed by price, and read a little about each variety.


“Once you click on a wine it’s going to tell you a little bit about the wine itself, some tasting notes, and we are starting to add what pairs well with food.”


This winter, Vintage will offer “Wine 101”-type classes. (If you’re interested in buying a class for someone this holiday season, gift cards are available.)


For the wine connoisseur, there is always an associate on hand to answer any question.


“And they know they can call me any time,” says Griffin-Holst. “But there’s Trevor, who oversees the day-to-day operations and holds down the fort and can geek out pretty good too when it comes to wine.” 


If you are a wannabe wine geek or have always wanted to learn more about wine, aside from coming in and experiencing Vintage, the shop carries a variety of literature on wines, in addition to shelves of wine-related gifts — everything from wine stoppers to games to a $75 six-piece wine tool kit. 


Since Vintage’s mid-summer opening, the reception has been “incredible,” according to Griffin-Holst.